Hebrews 9:27-28
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
C.S. Lewis rightly notes the statistic that one out of every one person dies. Have you ever faced the reality that your life will one day come to an end? For many, this is an issue that they would love to avoid. Many people are confused about what happens after death. No one knows how they will die and death is shrouded in a lot of mystery. If we are honest, death makes us unsettled, maybe even afraid.
Thankfully, God has spoken to us through His Word about death. It does not shy away from the issue, but confronts it head on by telling us that inevitably we will all pass from this world. That is what the writer of Hebrews wrote so many years ago in Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die.”
The Bible also tells us that the reason that death is a reality is because mankind has sinned. Paul wrote to the Romans, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12) and “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
What’s worse is that, not only are we all guilty sinners having to face death, but what awaits every person after death is judgment. Every individual will stand before God and give an account of their life. They will stand before a perfectly just and omniscient judge who shows no favoritism or partiality.
After judgment, there is eternity. Every person does not cease to exist after death. We are judged and then we spend eternity in one of two places that the Bible tells us about, heaven or hell.
The wonderful news of the gospel is that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world to die for the sin of mankind. That means that the judgment, condemnation, and punishment that belonged to us was placed on Jesus when He died on the cross. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Jesus took the penalty for our sin and rose from the dead as the only One who has overcome death. In Revelation 1:18 He tells us, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Therefore Paul could write, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
One of the purposes for which Jesus came was to overcome death and deliver people from its fear and grasp. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus has thus removed “the sting of death” which “is sin” (1 Corinthians 15:56). Now, when a believer dies, they will give an account of their lives to Christ, but will not need to worry about condemnation. They will spend an eternity with Him.
Have you had your sin debt settled? God has provided a way for you and I to be saved by placing our faith and trust in Christ and what He has done for us on the cross. We can face death, not as a dreadful end into an eternity of suffering, but as a doorway to life in the presence of God.